A place for a tired old woman to try to figure things out so that the world makes a bit of sense.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Death Dealing

Each year, a report "considered by academic experts to be the most thorough compilation of facts and figures on global weapons sales available in the public domain" is made available to Congress, and this year's report contains some interesting statistics.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 - The value of military weapons sales worldwide jumped in 2004 to the highest level since 2000, driven by arms deals with developing nations, especially India, Saudi Arabia and China, according to a new Congressional study.

The United States once again dominated global weapons sales, signing deals worth $12.4 billion in 2004, or 33.5 percent of all contracts worldwide. But that was down from $15.1 billion in 2003.

"Relationships between arms suppliers and recipients continue to evolve in response to changing political, military and economic circumstances," [Richard F. Grimmett] said. "Nonetheless, the developing world continues to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by conventional weapons suppliers."

"Presently, there appear to be fewer large weapons purchases being made by developing nations in the Near East," Mr. Grimmett wrote, while relatively larger purchases are being made by developing nations in Asia, "led principally by China and India."

In the parts of the world wracked by AIDS, polio, malaria, TB, starvation, and the other ravages of Global Warming, billions are being spent on more direct ways to kill people. Those billions are being sent to the more comfortable 'developed' nations such as the US and Europe.